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iPhone XR – How to Block and Filter Incoming Phone Calls

The iPhone XR offers several ways to block and filter incoming phone calls so you don’t get disturbed by unwanted callers. Here are the main methods:

Use Silence Unknown Callers

The Silence Unknown Callers feature, available in iOS 13 and later, is designed to filter out calls from numbers not already saved in your contacts, recent outgoing calls, or Siri suggestions.

To enable:

  1. Open the Settings app
  2. Tap Phone
  3. Scroll down and tap Silence Unknown Callers
  4. Toggle on Silence Unknown Callers

This will automatically send all calls from unknown numbers straight to voicemail. You’ll still get call notifications from numbers in your contacts, recent calls, and Siri suggestions.

Block Specific Phone Numbers

You can block calls and messages from specific numbers:

To block a number:

  1. Open the Phone app
  2. Tap Recents
  3. Tap the i icon next to the number you want to block
  4. Scroll down and tap Block this Caller

To view and manage blocked numbers:

  1. Open Settings
  2. Tap Phone
  3. Tap Blocked Contacts

From here you can unblock numbers if needed.

Use Third-Party Call Blocking Apps

There are many call blocking apps on the App Store that provide advanced spam call detection and blocking functionality by cross referencing unknown numbers against large databases of known spam numbers. Popular options include Truecaller, RoboKiller, and Hiya.

These apps typically include features like:

  • Automatically blocking known spam numbers
  • Identifying unknown numbers
  • Community spam number reporting
  • Custom block lists and allow lists

Set Scheduled Downtime with Do Not Disturb

The Do Not Disturb feature allows you to schedule quiet hours where calls and notifications from anyone not in your contacts will be silenced.

To schedule Do Not Disturb:

  1. Open Settings
  2. Tap Focus
  3. Tap Do Not Disturb
  4. Enable Scheduled
  5. Set your quiet hours schedule

You can customize what calls and notifications can bypass Do Not Disturb if needed in the options.

Summarizing Key Points

  • Use Silence Unknown Callers to automatically filter out calls not in your contacts or recent calls
  • Manually block specific unwanted numbers
  • Download call blocking apps for advanced spam call blocking
  • Schedule Do Not Disturb quiet hours

Combining these methods provides an effective approach to minimizing disturbances from unwanted calls on an iPhone XR. Be sure to tweak the settings to fit your needs and usage patterns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I block all calls from private or unknown numbers on my iPhone XR?

Unfortunately there is no setting to universally block all private numbers, no caller ID, or unknown calls on an iPhone. But using Silence Unknown Callers will filter out the majority of these.

What happens when I block a phone number on my iPhone XR?

Blocking a number on an iPhone prevents the caller from getting through or leaving voicemails. From their end, it will seem like the call just keeps ringing without answer.

Can I block text messages on iPhone XR?

Yes, when you block a number using the steps above, it blocks both calls and text messages from coming through over cellular connection or Wi-Fi calling.

What’s the difference between Silence Unknown Callers and Do Not Disturb on iPhone XR?

Silence Unknown Callers automatically blocks calls not in your contacts or recent calls. Do Not Disturb allows you to schedule hours where all calls and notifications are silenced, except from people you choose.

What happens if I get an important call from an unknown number?

With Silence Unknown Callers enabled, important calls from new numbers often go to voicemail. Check your voicemail regularly or disable the feature temporarily if expecting important calls from new numbers.

Conclusion

And that wraps up the main methods for blocking and filtering unwanted calls on an iPhone XR. With the number of robocalls and spam calls today, using these settings can help you avoid constant disturbances and interruptions from people you don’t know.

Be sure to customize the options to meet your specific needs. Some key examples are allowing calls from important contacts or numbers during Do Not Disturb hours, or disabling call blocking features temporarily when expecting important calls.

Let us know if you have any other questions!

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